I live in the United States of America. I’m quite proud to live here. I love the place. Truly, I do. But we’ve lost our focus, and I don’t know how long it has been lost.
Recently our government gave us a stimulus package. Basically, anyone who did their taxes and made less than a certain amount got $300 per person in the household. That’s not a perfect description, but a quick one. What did we do with the money? Well, most of the people I’ve seen spend it have spent it on big screen televisions, gaming systems, etc. They haven’t used it for bills or clothing or other such necessities. This tells me we are the consumer country people believe us to be. We don’t focus on the right things. We have taken the handout and done exactly what the government wanted us to do with it. We’ve spent it on consumer products. This makes the country look like it’s doing better economically than it actually has.
There is a major election coming up in November. But we vote everyday.
“What? How do we vote everyday?”
The things you buy tell commercial companies what else you want to buy. The shows you watch tell the television executives what television shows you want to watch. So if America is buying silly “toys” and watching reality television, guess what will be provided for us? That’s right. More “toys” and more reality television.
Instead of researching the best anti wrinkle cream, the best television, or even the best mp3 player, what we should be doing is researching the best candidate for President. We should be voting on the best Senators and the best Representatives. We should be doing what’s best for our country.
Of course, if buying a plasma television or anti wrinkle cream, or watching Hell’s Kitchen or American Idol seems more important than education, the environment, or even the current war we’re going through, then again I say we’ve lost focus and I’m afraid for our future and the future of our children.
Feel free to disagree or yell at me for mentioning your favorite television show. I want your opinions on this topic. Just give yourself five minutes to think before responding.
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By blueyes on May 21, 2008 | Reply
I don’t know who your hanging out with over there but where I’m at we are using it on bills and such. I personally used it to buy a new dryer since mines been broken for months and what little I have left over I bought groceries.
blueyess last blog post..Pick Me Up On The Way
By Gary R. Hess on May 21, 2008 | Reply
blueyes you must be in a miracle place. Because we are a consumer nation. Michael is right. The government ‘gave us’ (even though it was OUR money in the first place), $300 to to help the economy by us spending it on consumer goods (even though that never helps, anyone who studied US history knows that Reaganomics doesn’t work). Hah, and the funny thing is that most of our consumer goods aren’t even made in the US in the first place, just sold… only helping out places like Wal-Mart and Best Buy and whatever fast food place… oh, and people who grow corn. They always make money.
Anyways my dog just farted under my desk so I’ll make this short, people will believe what they want to believe. Do what their priest tells them (well, only if their mother and father tells them to do it too! Like porn is the devil and Jesus Christ doesn’t believe fossils, even though the freaking Pope even said evolution could very well have happened and the bible is only a metaphore).
Voters aren’t as ignorant about the issues as I once thought they were. It is just that the people really do believe in what the politicians say. We are screwed as a nation. Evangelist Conservatism, War-Mongering, rich people mercenaries, etc. are all what we asked for and will ask for once McCain gains office.
Don’t believe McCain is that bad? Read a bit on the Navajo tribe in Arizona. 8,000 dead because McCain and his buddies (even Bill Clinton) got paid off by coal companies.
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By Mrs. Mecomber on May 21, 2008 | Reply
GREAT POST!!!! Wish there were more like them. I see your point, and it is a sad but true testimony to our society today.
By Nodins Nest on May 21, 2008 | Reply
I agree 100%! I think I know of only 2 other people who saved or used the money to pay down a debt. I wrote a post on my blog about it March.
Nodins Nests last blog post..Picnic Fun
By guardian angel on May 21, 2008 | Reply
I do not live in the US and I am proud to be a Filipino. However, the situation here in the Phils. is almost the same as in your country, in terms of politics and society building I guess.
My conclusion therefore is whether you live in a 3rd world country or in the most powerful country, it’s still the people who decides what’s the best for their country, not the government.
Thanks.
guardian angels last blog post..My Serious Droppers
By Margaret on May 22, 2008 | Reply
I feel the same as you - my stimulus package went to pay on cc debt which I’m struggling to get paid down/off.
I think you’re going to find there are more of us than you first thought there were and actually, I felt all along that that was what many of us would do. It’s the grasshoppers who “toil not neither do they sow” who are so loudly proclaiming their “free money” went on toys.
When our choices for president boiled down to the three we currently seem to have, I despaired of this country ever getting back to the values of the 40’s 50’s and 60’s where American integrity was paramount and we dealt with our enemies in a forthright, face-to-face, cards on the table manner. We had values that were grounded in the tenets of fair play and justice for all. We applied our constitutional beliefs to persons of all races and all countries and not on how convenient it was for us to do so. I can’t tell you how sickened I am by the turn we have taken in recent years where we turn a blind eye to torture, graft, corruption and low morals perpetuated by our so-called leaders.
It’s past time to clean house in our government.
We have a long uphill battle ahead of us to get that accomplished.
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Margarets last blog post..Who Am I?
By Gary R. Hess on May 22, 2008 | Reply
Margaret, cleaning house won’t help much. During the last election the majority of incumbents were voted out of office. Nothing changed. If something is going to be done it will have to be done by the voters–getting people who are of the people and voting for true values and for the constitution. Neither the Democratic or the Republican sides have regarded the constitution as a paper for the people and that it can’t be infringed upon.
Case in point? The Iraq War. It is against the constitution and the only person in congress I have heard say anything to that effect is Ron Paul. Ask any constitutional lawyer and he/she will tell you that the war is illegal. But guess what? Both the Dems and Reps consistently vote to keep it in place. And this comes after the 2006 elections when Dems were running on the platform of ‘change’ to get out of Iraq.
By Catherine on May 22, 2008 | Reply
The United State is so digitally connected that we are losing focus on what is important in life such as our health and our families.
I for one am going to be using my money that they are giving back to me for a new bed and groceries. Groceries which I’ll be buying from local companies.
Can’t live the so called “American Dream” if we can’t sleep and are hungry.
By Maria on May 22, 2008 | Reply
I can only wish that I had the option of being the consumer by spending it, but sadly, no. I am a dependent and therefore, got no stimulus.
But I agree with your point. A lot of people just spent it here and there without really giving it a thought to why they were getting it in the first place.
I was on the bus a few weeks ago and an ignorant 20-something was saying to his friend, “Yeah man! The gov’t gon’ give you $600 juss for fillin’ out yo’ taxes! You don’ even hafta work!”
Sadly, that was a major example of how screwed up this place is.
America, I feel, is sometimes like that saying you say about the other sex, “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
Marias last blog post..Bittersweet Memories
By Vienne on May 22, 2008 | Reply
Yes, there are so many economic traps that we readily fall in to. I was shocked to read recently that American Idol is the number one TV program in the nation. Snort. I mean, I like me some Idol, but I watch far more programs on CNN and PBS that actually teach me something and prepare me to make good decisions when I vote.
I, for one, kept every last cent of my tax check to stimulate my own economy - my savings account. I feel for those who had to use it for fundamentals. I’ve been there, too.
Viennes last blog post..Attitude and Gratitude at the Garage Sale
By Graham on May 23, 2008 | Reply
you’re right. every day we cast our economic vote. who are we voting for? coca cola and mcdonalds for president, and pfizer for our nations psychologist.
dear lord what have we done
By Laura on May 23, 2008 | Reply
You’re so right.
The whole stimulus package is a ponzie scheme anyway. Like a shell game shuffling money from one place to another. So they TAKE it from you in April with *taxes* and then return part of it to you in May, and that’s supposed to make you feel like they’ve actually given you something. The whole thing really makes me angry. They really think we’re that stupid. Because you know what? Most of us are.
I just got back from Ireland, where gas is the equivalent of $7.70 a gallon. How will you survive when it reaches that in the US? Has your income increased enough to compensate for that? They are crashing the US economy, on purpose. This stimulus package was a band aid. A smoke and mirror trick to make us forget for five minutes how bad things really are.
Graham, you’re right.
Gary Hess, Dems and Reps are two sides of the same coin. This upcoming election is a complete sham. Ron Paul has been shut out of main stream media, and ostracized for sticking to the CONSTITUTION. By the way… he’s still in the Presidential race. But click on the CNN Politics page, and you have to dig to find out. McCain is there big and bold with “presumptive nominee”. I don’t care if it’s a rep or dem or green or blue. If there is someone still in the race, they should be given equal coverage. That just shows you McCain Obama and Clinton are all govt shills. And if you think your vote counts, think again.
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/
That to me says it all. We’ve lost our focus, and we’ve lost our country.
Whew sorry for the rant!
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By Debbie aka TripTheLady on May 23, 2008 | Reply
Most people I know spent it on frivolities and not necessities. I didn’t get one cuz I owed back taxes and it thankfully almost covered the entire amount owed. If we had actually received a check it would’ve went into savings.
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By outofthepinksky on May 23, 2008 | Reply
Really? Wow. Everyone I know used it to pay bills. I know we certainly did!
outofthepinkskys last blog post..Alphabet of Horror
By Rick Vaughn on May 23, 2008 | Reply
Interesting post but I love my big screen TV and I’m proud of it. We are Americans there is a reason why we have these things. Enjoy what you have and be grateful.
Rick Vaughns last blog post..Get Your Head Out the Sand!
By Saphrym on May 24, 2008 | Reply
Wow. A lot of great comments here. Very mature debate. I’m loving it. Thanks everyone for participating.
By Gary R. Hess on May 24, 2008 | Reply
The whole gas prices/oil prices is funny. All the politicians and the media are making a huge fuss about it. Everyone knows the real reason they are so high, yet they never, EVER mention it.
Our dollar is worth less. How much less? Enough to make up the difference between 2000 and 2008. Inflation is HORRIBLE right now and everyone knows it. They might not know the word but they know it is happening all around them. Just go to the grocery store and check out the prices of food.
Milk, eggs and bread are all more expensive. In Kansas 2000 you could buy a gallon of milk for $1.67. In 2008 the very same gallon of milk costs $3.67. Bread is about twice as much as well as are eggs. And this is in the very state those products come from.
The economy is not the direct cause, only the indirect. If the politicians really cared they would be talking about changing to a real standard or at least stop handing out money to everything that walks. Each time money is printed the inflation rises. Every time more money is given to the Iraq occupation the inflation rises. Why? Because the money doesn’t exist. We are borrowing more money than we have. The tax returns hurt the economy as well because it just mortgages everything else.
And on top of that, the USA borrows the money from other countries and has to pay interest. So each time money is printed we are not only paying for it to be printed and everything that is bought with the printed money, but we are paying interest on it to another country, particularly China.
Gary R. Hesss last blog post..Reducing Duplicate Content
By Marcus Hochstadt on May 29, 2008 | Reply
How can one be proud of owning a wide screen TV and watching all that crap. The more TV crap you watch the poorer you are, psychically and financially.
Hopefully, folks will realize that sooner rather than later.
~Marcus
Marcus Hochstadts last blog post..Live Where Your Heart Calls You To